For just about anyone starting out in a field they’ve trained for, the first day on the job can often feel foreign. Sure you’ve gone through all of the necessary coursework, but that doesn’t mean you actually know how to work as a registered nurse! These types of realizations and thoughts are quite common, and new nurses can feel like they’re a bit overwhelmed when the time comes to start your first assignment. Here we will discuss some things they don’t teach you in nursing school — things the pros know and the rookies wish they did! 5 Things They Don’t Teach You in Nursing School 1. Nursing Will Change You You may have learned just about everything there is about basic assessments and changing beds, but it’s hard to get a grasp on just how much the nursing profession will change you personally. It’s hard for many people to become more sensitive to the pain and care needs of patients without having direct experience. Aside from developing the technical skills that you’ll use throughout your career, it’s often understood that nursing becomes a part of your personality once you really dig in. Just like many things in life, finding your true calling as a professional becomes the lens through which you view the world. 2. You’ll Hit the Floor Running As organized and reserved as your nursing educational experience may have been, you’ll quickly find that most facilities won’t hold your hand from day one. As brazen as it may be, your feelings aren’t as important to seasoned professionals as the life and death of current patients. In fast-paced environments like hospitals, you’ve got to keep up with things to the best of your ability or you’ll simply get left behind. Yes, it will be a bit stressful but if you can push through you’ll eventually find your groove and start to thrive! 3. Can you Multitask and Prioritize? Balancing many tasks at once is definitely one of the things they don’t teach you in nursing school, even though you may have been doing this all along! In most cases, learning to efficiently multitask is one of the job requirements to become a nurse, whether it’s stated or not. Complying with different requests from both staff and patients while juggling your own tasks is possible only through learning...

The nursing shortage is a frequently talked about subject in the healthcare industry, so it’s no surprise that many assume that the millennial generation could be the answer. Perhaps they could. As it stands, young adults who are part of the millennial generation are nearly twice as likely as baby boomers were to choose the nursing profession, according to a recent study. This curious bunch, known as the “why” generation, are actually leading the way when it comes to combatting the nursing shortage. Millennials in nursing are becoming quite common, so it’s important to take a look at this generation of nurses. In coming years, the nursing profession will rely heavily on millennials to make up for retiring baby boomers. However, adding to staff numbers is not their most important legacy. Millennials demand work-life balance, and they get it. They question the status quo and then change it. They expect to enjoy their work and will not settle. So how do you recruit and retain this valuable generation of workers? Recruiting Millenials In Nursing Healthcare facilities struggle with figuring out how to recruit millennials. Unlike any other generation, millennials are much more different and require a little creativity when it comes to recruiting them. A 2016 Deloitte Millennial survey found that Millennials’ want to work for a company that: Puts employees first (after the patients, of course) Creates a solid foundation of trust and integrity Offers excellence in customer care Provides high-quality, reliable services Actively takes social responsibility Remember to keep these factors in mind, and check out some of the tips below for how to recruit millennial nurses. Seek Input Remember, you’re talking to generation “why.” While millennials will surely ask questions, they also might give his or her own input when it comes to certain matters. If you can respect their opinion, this will show potential employees that you’re willing to hear what they have to say. Provide Mentorship Constructive management should be employed instead of punitive or even performance-mandated supervision. Millennial nurses might be much more sensitive to perceived criticism or negative feedback. Coaching and coachable conversations may be a much more successful tactic. Be Flexible It’s often said that flexibility is a must in managing Millennials. However, flexibility is actually a benefit in managing anybody. Nurses of any age would appreciate a work-life balance. Employers should recognize the preferences of each generation and...

For just about anyone starting out in a field they’ve trained for, the first day on the job can often feel foreign. Sure you’ve gone through all of the necessary coursework, but that doesn’t mean you actually know how to work as a registered nurse! These types of realizations and thoughts are quite common, and new nurses can feel like they’re a bit overwhelmed when the time comes to start your first assignment. Here we will discuss...

The nursing shortage is a frequently talked about subject in the healthcare industry, so it’s no surprise that many assume that the millennial generation could be the answer. Perhaps they could. As it stands, young adults who are part of the millennial generation are nearly twice as likely as baby boomers were to choose the nursing profession, according to a recent study. This curious bunch, known as the “why” generation, are actually...

Patients come into the emergency department with all kinds of injuries and illnesses, from gunshot wounds to heart attacks to mental health issues. Emergency nurses have to know how to do it all, making ER nursing one of the more challenging nursing specialties. October 8-17 is Emergency Nurses Appreciation Week 2017, so let’s take a moment to appreciate the hard work that goes into emergency nursing! Emergency nurses face many...

When discussing the LPN versus RN debate, there are numerous things to consider. Even though they sound similar, if you compare registered nurse vs. licensed practical nurse careers and education you’ll see they have fairly little in common in terms of job tasks, educational paths, and salary ranges. Whether you’re in nursing school and debating which degree to pursue, or you’re thinking about switching sides from one degree to the...

Much has been said and written about the growing physician shortage facing the United States. While this gap in healthcare provision and the needs of the population is certainly cause for concern, it also presents a great opportunity for registered nurses to both contribute to society in an important way and find job opportunities. In fact, nursing is projected to grow at a rate of 16% between 2016 and 2024 according to the Bureau of...

If you’re looking to become a travel nurse, chances are you want to take advantage of the travel aspect of the career by experiencing life in different places across the country. Yet, you are most likely only licensed as a registered nurse in one state. In order to travel, you need to get licensed in each state that you wish to practice in. Luckily, there’s something that allows you to get licensed in multiple states, and it is called...